Rynok Square, Lviv

Piazza Rynok (Market Square) is the main square of Lviv and the heart of its old town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1998. It measures about 142 by 129 metres, and in its centre stands the Town Hall, the seat of the city council; the present building with its 65-metre tower dates from 1835, and the tower has an observation deck with views over the red roofs of the old town.

The square is lined by 44 houses from the Renaissance to the 19th century. Most have three windows facing the square: according to local tradition, wider façades were taxed more, and only the richest burghers could afford more. Among the finest are the Black House at No. 4, with its dark sandstone façade, and the Korniakt Palace at No. 6, built in 1580 for a Greek merchant and later owned by King John III Sobieski; both belong to the Lviv History Museum.

At the four corners stand fountains with statues of Neptune, Diana, Amphitrite and Adonis, made in 1793 and probably designed by Hartman Witwer. The square is lively day and night, with cafés, restaurants and souvenir shops, concerts and festivals; the Pharmacy Museum, which has worked as a pharmacy since 1735, is a few steps away at the corner of Drukarska Street.